WHEN the economy grows, the people must feel it.
For years, Guyanese heard the promise of an economy waiting to take off. Oil was coming. Investments were coming. Transformation was coming.
But for the ordinary citizen, “coming” does not pay a grocery bill, builds a house, fixes a road or puts food on a family’s table.
In 2026, however, the numbers are no longer speaking about what might happen to Guyana. They are speaking about what IS happening.
The Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report has put some remarkable figures on the table. Guyana’s economy expanded by 33.3 per cent in the first half of 2026, while the non-oil economy grew by 10.1 per cent. Capital expenditure approached $250 billion, while private-sector credit continued to expand.
But the most important question is not whether Guyana’s GDP is growing. It is whether Guyanese are better off because of that growth.
This is where the 2026 Budget’s theme—“Putting People First,” must be judged. And three developments stand out.
The first is money going directly into people’s hands.
The $100,000 cash grant to every adult citizen, the increase in the old-age pension from $41,000 to $46,000 monthly, higher public assistance and the increase in the income-tax threshold represent tangible changes in household finances.
These are not numbers that exist only in a Ministry of Finance report, they are dollars in the hands of citizens.
For a pensioner, additional income can mean greater freedom to purchase necessities. Ask aunty Joyce Campbell, who said she can get groceries, medication and still have a little left over to tide her through the month.
For a working family, a higher tax threshold means retaining more of its earnings. The Persauds at Mon Repos opened a small business with the 100,000 that each member of the family received.
For vulnerable households, direct support can provide breathing space in an economy where food prices remain a concern. From Skeldon, Anns Grove, Diamond, Georgetown, Vreed-en-hoop, Bartica, Parika, ‘Melanie,’ Buxton, Better Hope to Enmore, to name a few places, people’s lives are slowly changing positively.
The government has also maintained zero excise tax on petroleum products, helping to cushion consumers and businesses from higher fuel costs.
The second big story is the sheer scale of national development.
Nearly $250 billion in capital expenditure is a staggering figure by Guyanese standards.
It is being translated into roads, bridges, housing, drainage, water infrastructure, schools, hospitals and other public projects.
This is where the oil story becomes a development story. The 10.1 per cent expansion of the non-oil economy is particularly significant because it suggests that economic activity is spreading beyond petroleum. Construction, services, agriculture, mining and other productive sectors remain part of the national expansion.
It matters. After all, Guyana cannot build a sustainable future by simply pumping oil and counting barrels. The country must use today’s wealth to build an economy capable of standing when the oil wells eventually decline.
The third accomplishment is the attempt to turn oil wealth into lasting national assets.
This is perhaps the most important test of all. The oil must eventually run out, but the roads, schools, hospitals, and the skills acquired by Guyanese will remain.
This is why investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare and productive capacity matters far beyond one budget cycle.
The contrast with the APNU+AFC government’s 2019 Mid-Year Report is revealing, but must be understood in its historical context.
In 2019, Guyana was still preparing for first oil. The APNU+AFC report projected capital expenditure of $69.3 billion and an overall fiscal deficit of 4.9 per cent of GDP. Revenue collected during the first half of that year stood at $115.9 billion.
Seven years later, Guyana is operating in an entirely different fiscal environment.
The 2019 report was essentially documenting a country standing at the doorway of the oil age.
The 2026 report is documenting a country already inside it and grappling with the enormous responsibility of converting petroleum wealth into broad-based development.
WIN, APNU, AFC and all of the other opposition parties must not ignore this distinction. They must give Jack his jacket and Jane her skirt. They must stop being bitter-Betties and commend the PPP government and, stop fooling and dividing the people.
There are still challenges.
Inflation, particularly food prices, remains a concern.
The 2026 Mid-Year Report provides considerable evidence of an economy expanding at extraordinary speed and a government deploying unprecedented resources into social support and national development. But the real achievement will not be the 33.3 per cent.
It will be whether that growth continues to translate into more money in people’s pockets, better services, better infrastructure, more opportunities and a higher standard of living.
For the remainder of the year, the government is working very hard on addressing the issues the people care about while staying focused on delivering its manifesto commitments.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.